FRANCE 98 – Paris
The Thousand and One Faces of Paris Paris occupies a very special place in the cultural heritage of the world: all men and women, wherever they come from, discover a little piece of their imagination here, something like a second home.
There is the Paris of every day, with its hundred villages and “small trades.” This is the Paris where it is so pleasant to live, with its secret gardens like the ones on the banks of the Seine, or in the Marais and Saint-Germain des Prés. There is the Paris of monuments, which the entire world seems to have known for a long time: Notre-Dame, the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, the Sacré Coeur, etc. And of course, there is the bubbling, imaginative and lively Paris, always ready for a party or for a show, the Paris of the arts and of creativity. Paris is also a city of challenge, ambition, and determination to succeed. And there is the dynamic and active business world of Paris, with a constant economic revival. Paris is also a city of major works from which is emerging the modern face of the 20th century, that of Bercy, the new Montparnasse and the Left Bank. These are the thousand and one faces of Paris which all the players and spectators of the 1998 Football World Cup will be able to discover, a Paris which has no intention of becoming a museum city, but which discloses itself by chance, when wandering through its streets, meeting its people, encountering the unexpected. It is a city which belongs to the realm of the imagination.
Paris in the Run-Up to the World Cup
A warm welcome It is precisely this priority that dictates the policy of the Paris city council in preparing for the 16th Football World Cup. Together with the tourist industry, institutions and various other partners involved in organising this event, a number of task forces have for some time been working towards the summer of 1998, anticipating all eventualities so that the event will be a resounding success. Catering to everyone’s taste So that everyone can go home with fond memories of Paris in the summer of 1998, the city has set a number of objectives:
On with the show! So whether you are a fan or not, French or foreign, Parisian or from the suburbs, 1998 will have something for everyone. Welcome to Paris! |
POPULATION Inner city: 2,200,000 habitants Urban area: 9,000,000 habitants Mayor: Jean Tibéri THE CLUB Paris-Saint-Germain F.C. 2 French League titles 5 Times French Cup winners 2 French Ligue’s Cup 1 European Cup winners Cup TOURISM
Sites and monuments CITY LIFE
Weather MAPS |
here is the Paris of History: the site has been inhabited since Paleolithic times. The city grew from an island on the Seine settled by a Gallic tribe, the Parisii (2nd century B.C.), hence its name.
aris is well-versed in hosting international events. With more trade fairs and conventions than anywhere else in the world for the past 15 years, Paris knows how to welcome the world.
t is not a matter of chance that all events held in Paris are so successful. Each one is analysed thoroughly with a view to improving the quality of organisation and hospitality. With some 20 million tourists visiting the capital every year, the quality of the reception given them is a top priority.
ot only will Paris be welcoming spectators for all the matches played at the Parc des Princes, it will also be the place through which most fans will be passing to reach the nine other World Cup host cities. It will also be a platform for the 9,000-odd accredited journalists covering the competition, with the International Media Centre at the Parc des Expositions (trade fair centre), located at the Porte de Versailles. Nevertheless, Paris won’t be forgetting the hundreds of thousands of other tourists, maybe less keen on football, who will be coming to visit the capital, nor will it ignore Parisians themselves, whom it would like to involve in the great celebration.
or the first time in history, and to make the last World Cup of the century something truly to remember, a huge show for everybody is to be laid on, getting the 16th World Cup off to a roaring start. On June 9, the day before the opening match, Paris and all of France will be welcoming the world with a vast celebration in the heart of the capital. A symbol of excitement, universality and sharing on the eve of the year 2000! And when the lights are finally dimmed after the event, the streets of Paris will still be ringing with the sounds of the party, and with the Parisian gaiety without which Paris just would not be Paris.